Man is a Beast
Does a dog know its own character? Does a bad dog know it has been collared and leashed because it has behaved badly or is it simply following instinct of the moment. More importantly, what separates a man from a dog or any other animal acting upon instinct?
“`who can know the heart of a man? Not even he himself, I suspect. A man is the easiest animal to put on a leash, and the hardest to keep leashed. Even when he chooses it himself.’"
Teamwork
It has been observed that every single member of a team is vital. The backup quarterback who handles the hike of a last-second field goal attempt is going to be just as essential as the starting QB who has thrown three touchdown passes. This is the nature of teamwork. Or, framed as another metaphor:
“The pin was the smallest part of a pair of scissors, and the easiest made, but without it, the scissors cut no cloth.”
Saidin in Action
The mythology of the book has something akin to the Force called the True Source. Unlike the Force, the power of the True Source is divided into male and female sub-sources, if you will. Saidar is for women while saidin is for men. Rand cannot help but call upon saidin at times and the result is so spectacularly literal that it must be described metaphorically:
“Suddenly the ground heaved beneath Perrin, and the valley echoed with a vast rumble. It seemed as if the ground was jerked out from under his feet. He fell—or the earth leaped up to meet him. The valley shook as though a vast hand had reached down from the sky to wrench it out of the land. He clung to the ground while it tried to bounce him like a ball. Pebbles in front of his eyes leaped and tumbled, and dust rose in waves.”
Misogyny
Most of the misogynistic utterings and thoughts of the male characters are tempered through simile and metaphor. Sometimes, however, it works the other way and the truth is revealed:
“His eyes burned suddenly, and he cleared his throat and scrubbed at his nose. I will be crying like a girl, next.”
Callandor
Callandor is the Excalibur of this fantasy world, a sword forged from crystal endowed with protective powers against falling into the wrong hands as well as the power of identifying the right hands. It is a very special sword, even if it does kind of sound like a new drug being advertised relentlessly during football games:
“Callandor shone in his fist until it seemed he carried the sun. Dimly within him, fluttering like a candle flame in a storm, was the surety that holding Callandor, he could do anything. Anything.”
